I write today concerning the recent release of the final 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The rule failed to provide relief from a proposed policy which will result in payment cuts of up to 10% for some specialties as a result of requirements for budget neutrality and higher payment and new reporting requirements for E/M services.  These cuts will be devastating to an already struggling health care system and may lead to reduced access to care for older Americans and those with disabilities. Due to CMS' unresponsiveness to  address these more than concerns, I urge Congress to to include legislation in any year-end package to prevent these arbitrary cuts in order to protect patient access to medically necessary services. 

If Congress fails to mitigate these cuts, decreases in Medicare payments will further exacerbate the problems occurring across the country with practices shutting their doors and furloughing staff. Please act now to prevent these cuts from detrimental effects to patient care. 

Sincerely,